Dogbreath
Well-Known Member
Many of us have had close calls hauling over to WCVI let's hope this helps.
New concrete barriers coming to Cathedral Grove after safety concerns: Province
The B.C. government is installing concrete barriers along the side of Highway 4 at Cathedral Grove in an effort to curb illegal parking,
cheknews.ca
New concrete barriers coming to Cathedral Grove after safety concerns: Province
The B.C. government is installing concrete barriers along the side of Highway 4 at Cathedral Grove in an effort to curb illegal parking and improve safety at the popular spot.
The province says approximately 200 metres of concrete barriers will be placed on both sides of the highway through MacMillan Provincial Park.
Construction is planned for two nights, on Sunday, Jan. 26 and Monday, Jan. 27, from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
During that time, traffic will be dropped down to single-lane-alternating traffic, and drivers should expect “minor delays.”
The province says the concrete barriers are coming to areas of the highway where the existing “no parking areas” are already in place at Cathedral Grove.
The barriers will help “reduce ongoing safety challenges faced by drivers and pedestrians when vehicles are illegally parked along the highway during heavy tourist seasons,” says the province.
Ongoing safety complaints
Parking and overall driver and pedestrian safety has been an ongoing issue at Cathedral Grove for more than a decade.The Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce has been calling for safety upgrades at the popular tourist spot since 2015, and in 2021 the chamber renewed its calls for safety upgrades once again.
“It’s absolutely an accident waiting to happen,” said Bill Collette, chief executive officer of the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce, in a July 2021 interview with CHEK News.
“It will happen. I mean, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out. You know somebody’s going to make a mistake.”
In August 2024, complaints about the highway popped up again, this time by visitors themselves.
RELATED: ‘This is a little scary, this road’: Visitors call for safety upgrades at Cathedral Grove
At the time, the province told CHEK News that it had installed safety features in 2022, including median pickets to prevent cars from turning across the highway, no U-turn signs, rumble strips, speed radars, and overhead flashing pedestrian signs.
It added that “no parking” signs set up along the shoulders of the highway had been repeatedly vandalized or taken down.
On Aug. 7, 2024, the province said it would “continue to monitor compliance in the area and may consider additional safety measures if concerns continue.”
Now, the province says the new roadside barriers coming this weekend “will make it safer for pedestrians and help ensure that vehicles are parked in safe, designated parking areas.”
Drivers are reminded to follow all traffic directions during construction, and notes that over-width vehicles will still be able to pass through the area if they have proper permits and have given advance notice.
The latest updates on the construction can be found on the DriveBC website.
